From The Start
by TheKingdomKeyblade
Summary: A story of starts and finishes... a series of connected one-shots for GrayLu Week 2017.
1. Grey

GrayLu Week 2017: Grey

* * *

The rain was endless.

A seemingly limitless cascade of water flowed down the window as the drops tapped away, her surroundings slow and quiet for once in a while. The sky had been the same dull grey for days, and the weather seemed to be affecting the whole town. Lucy sighed, resting her chin in her palm while a deep feeling of dread spread through her bones at the thought of going home.

"Hey, Lucy."

The blonde looked up from her day dreaming, the deep voice startling her back to reality. She watched idly as Gray slid into the booth across from her.

"Why are you shirtless?" Lucy asked, her voice monotone as her eyes drifted back to the window. Gray chuckled.

"I'm always shirtless," he responded.

"That's not a good reason," Lucy mumbled.

Gray laughed, leaning forward onto the table as he folded his arms in front of him. Lucy mindlessly reached for the mug of tea she'd ordered, though it had long grown cold while her thoughts wandered in the corner of the tiny pub. "How'd you find me?" she asked.

Gray didn't say anything at first, but eventually shrugged. "You haven't been hanging out at the guild. I figured you were feeling down."

Lucy scoffed, although she couldn't deny his words. Her usually very sunny disposition had been compromised by this damn rain, her mind drifting almost constantly. It was starting to affect her writing. She bit her lip for a moment.

"I can't seem to write," her words fell from her mouth before she could catch them, and more were tumbling out. "I'm frustrated and sitting at the guild with all the noise and distractions is driving me crazy, and I can't go home because if I go home then I face the crushing defeat of a blank page and I can't seem to do anything about it!"

She finished her small rant out of breath, and Gray frowned in response. She still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Do you think it's the weather?"

Lucy only nodded. The silence was stiff, as if she were miles and miles away from where they sat; she couldn't think straight enough to get a coherent sentence on paper. Gray had been the only one she'd been sharing her writing with for months. It was mutually beneficial, she told herself: she got good feedback, and he got something to read when he wanted to be dark and broody.

But really, she'd just become addicted to the swell of pride she felt when _he_ smiled and begged her to write more.

"Luce?"

Lucy had faded out again. "Sorry," she mumbled, shaking her head back and forth, as if the shaking would knock the words out of her. Gray reached across the table and tentatively touched her arm, and for the first time since he'd sat down, she looked to his eyes. He was smiling encouragingly, his hair slightly damp from having walked in from the cold downpour outside. Even Lucy had to admit, Gray was mesmerizing.

"Maybe we just have to knock the ideas loose," Gray reasoned. Lucy shook her head again, forcing herself to return to reality.

"Wha—" Lucy was taken aback as Gray jumped up, grabbing her wrist. "Gray, where are we going?"

Her teammate began dragging her toward the entrance, a mischievous grin sneaking across his lips. "I'm gonna help," he reasoned, stopping just short of opening the door to the pouring rain. "Do you trust me?"

Lucy hesitated. "Gray, it's miserable outside."

"Do you trust me?" he asked again.

"You're not even fully dressed," she spoke.

"Do you trust me?" his words repeated.

"We're going to get sick," she insisted.

"Lucy."

The celestial mage looked at him, really looked at him, and he gave her the most tentative of smiles. "Do. You. Trust. Me?"

Lucy bit her lip, her chest feeling lighter and lighter every moment he was watching her. "Yeah."

As soon as Lucy's lips moved, the door burst open in front of them. Lucy held her breath as Gray drug her out into the middle of the street, the rain pelting her body from every angle as the ice mage pulled her along. Gray laughed like a child as he looked up into the sky.

Lucy had to admit; the rain was exhilarating. "What now?" her voice cut through the sound of a building storm, and when Gray looked at her, she could have sworn her breath had been stolen from her, taken from her lungs to join the wind being realized around her.

"Dance with me," Gray said. Lucy was almost startled at the suggestion, blushing at the thought of being closer to him with that damn smile on his face. "I want to dance with you, Lucy."

The rain came down harder than ever, but Lucy was suddenly unable to hear it. She felt Gray pull her closer and take her hand. It started off silly: over exaggerated movements, dizzy spinning, and crazy lifts where Lucy was thrown into the air, only to be caught by an ever-vigilant Gray. But at some point, it stopped being about the goofy nature of dancing in the rain. The company of one another was intoxicating, and Lucy found herself drawn into his chest, her head resting over the guild mark under his collar bone. Gray's arms were around her waist, and they were swaying, their bodies naturally moving back and forth to a rhythm only they could hear.

"Gray?"

Their eyes met, and with a newfound appreciation for the storm, a confidence formed in Lucy's chest. "Kiss me."

Gray couldn't hide his shock at her bold approach. "What?"

Lucy grinned. "I want you to kiss me, Gray."

His eyes searched hers, his heart pounding underneath her palms. "Can I?"

Lucy nodded, smiling encouragingly. Gray only hesitated a moment more, before his lips were suddenly pressed against hers. The kiss was chilled against the soaking wet nature of the rain, but the warmth that radiated between them was enough to make Gray pull her closer, his fingers entangling in her long, golden hair.

Lucy pulled away suddenly, pushing his chest. "I've gotta go!" she exclaimed, turning on her heels. Gray caught her by the arm, pulling her back.

"Where are you going?" he asked, fearing suddenly he'd done something wrong. But Lucy smiled; he could see the grey clouds parting slight behind her.

"I've got to get home!" Lucy laughed. "I know what to write!"

Gray couldn't help but chuckle. "Well can I come by later to get the next chapter?"

Lucy threw her bead back and laughed, waving at him as she hurried down the road, yelling back to him as she ran.

"Definitely!"


	2. Loud

A sort of continuation from day one.

GrayLu Week 2017: Loud

* * *

Sometimes, at night, he would go walking.

Gray had been having nightmares since he was young, but they'd stopped sometime after he'd lost Ur; at least, they'd stopped temporarily. Ever since Team Natsu had formed, however, they were starting back up, and they were worse than ever before.

So sometimes at night, he wandered.

Gray was, at his core, a lost soul to begin with. Magnolia was so hollow at night, and his feet carried him down stone streets and broken pathways. The dark changed little about the town; in fact, nothing changed at all. Not even the sky. The stars seemed even to haunt him in their constant stillness. The clear and quiet world above him felt so immovable, like there was nothing in the world that would change unless they could manage to keep spinning. Gray had felt still for a long time. There's was nothing louder than his own thoughts, and it seemed hopeless he would ever change.

Tonight though, he decided, would be different.

Like clockwork, his shirt came off as he reached the only other building in Magnolia in which he felt comfortable. His body entered autopilot as he began climbing the ivy leading up to the window, his hands reaching for places already worn from his ventures previous, his feet searching for holes already found. When Gray reached the window, he hesitated; he always did. But this time, finally, after a moment of pondering, he tapped on the window: once, twice, then three times. He waited.

It took only seconds for the blonde to slowly lift her head. She seemed confused, and he couldn't blame her. He tapped on the glass once more, and her head snapped around, revealing tired eyes and sleepy red cheeks. Gray smiled, but she frowned.

Lucy didn't hesitate to open the window though, allowing him to silently slip inside. "Gray?" her sleepy voice mumbled. She sat up further, rubbing her tired and driven eyes. "Am I dreaming?"

Gray couldn't help but let out a short, quiet laugh. "You dream about me?" he asked, climbing over her bed to stand beside it. He grinned at the blush that spread across Lucy's cheeks, watching as she turned to shit the window again, trying to hide her embarrassed features.

"Shut up," she mumbled.

"That wasn't a no," he reminded her.

She scoffed.

He grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy whined. "It's gotta be at least midnight, and we're meant to leave on a job tomorrow."

Gray didn't say anything at first, dropping his shirt somewhere uncared for. "You didn't let me come by for your next chapter," he lied feebly. Lucy didn't quite buy it, but didn't feel like prying; he looked a mess.

"That's because it isn't quite done," she reasoned coolly, paralleling the way her ribcage felt tight at the memory of dancing with him in the rain. Lucy hadn't spoken to him since. She'd been holed up in her apartment writing.

Gray raised his eyebrows, lowering himself to sit on the floor and scratching at the guild mark on his chest. It was a habit he picked up when he was nervous or uncomfortable. The guild always had been a reminder of the family he'd been able to forge there, a reminder of why he fought.

"It's been days, Luce," Gray sighed. "You're avoiding me."

Lucy blushed, fully awake now. "I am not!"

She wasn't exactly lying. She really hadn't been trying to avoid him, it was just convenient it had worked out that way. Besides, the stories in her head were screaming at her to get them out, to give them life, and she'd been unable to ignore the yelling in her mind.

Gray was too tired, and frankly, too distressed, to laugh at how flustered she was. "Just tell me what you're thinking," he begged, leaning back with one hand while the other ran over his face and through his hair. "I've been here the last few nights watching you, and I can't figure out what you want from me, and the thoughts in my head are screaming so loud I can barely breathe!" Gray was exasperatedly yelling, before becoming quiet. "So tell me all of it; the good and the not-so-good. Tell me all of it."

Lucy's face suddenly flickered to anger. Her words were loud. "You've been spying on me?!"

Gray huffed, his voice rising to match hers. "Lucy, nobody in the guild had heard from you!" he reminded her. He felt sick for yelling at her. "I was just worried," he mumbled. "So I came to check on you."

Lucy's face was hot with embarrassment. She hadn't even realized in her writing fever she'd probably sparked concern. She lowered her eyes, suddenly focusing on her hands as she knotted her fingers together. "Sorry," she said, much quieter. She hadn't even considered their voices waking the neighbors until now.

Silence stretched between them, words flying through her mind as she tried to piece together what to say to him. Lucy was a writer, after all. Words were her specialty... except when it came to Gray. He seemed to steal all the eloquent sentences she could create, reducing her instead to a blushing, defensive mess. Truth be told, she was just afraid of saying the wrong thing; when writing, she could think it over a thousand times before it was finalized. With talking? It felt so foreign to her.

The quiet was unsettling to Gray. Hope was fading from his chest every moment that passed, and as if something snapped inside of him, he began crying. "Please..." he whispered, silent tears streaking down his cheeks. "Just tell me what I did wrong."

The sight of Gray's tears brought alarm to the forefront of Lucy's brain. As if acting on instinct, the blonde threw herself from her bed, laughing directly into the defeated frame of her teammate. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he fought every fiber of his being not to hold her.

"Am I going to lose you?" Gray's words were barely there. "Please, Luce. I can't lose my family; not again."

The audible crack in his voice matched the feeling of Lucy's heart shattering against her ribcage. "No!" she finally managed to make her lips form the words, hanging onto him like her life depended on it. "No, Gray. I'm not going anywhere."

The smallest of sobs racked Gray's figure. His arms suddenly encased her, both of them falling back with their joined weight. The stillness of the night became alive again. The air seemed to dance in time to his pounding heart, audible against his chest where Lucy rested her head, just above his guild mark. Relief flooded every inch of Gray's being.

A few minutes passed, and silence enveloped them again. Lucy sat up for a moment, finding his eyes in light of the moon and slowly taking his hand, bringing them both to their feet. She coaxed him into her bed, and in the darkness, their bodies tangled, spooning against each other with no need for vocal cues. Gray held her close; Lucy relaxed completely for the first time in days. Sleep was inevitable. His head was remarkably silent. Everything was still again.

Well, except for the stars.

Gray looked out the window, and with the celestial mage beside him, even the stars danced.


	3. Ordinary

I didn't mean for all these prompts to connect.

GrayLu Week 2017: Ordinary

* * *

Things were different.

Gray found himself spending his nights not on the streets of Magnolia, but instead laying beside a mess of blonde hair and sleepy blue eyes.

Every day, after the sun went down, Gray would find himself walking to her place. He would climb the ivy. He would swing himself up to her window, and he'd tap: once, twice, then three times. He'd wait. She would appear in front of him. He'd tap again. The window would swing open, and he'd slip inside.

Lucy was everything he could've asked for.

Gray would drop his shirt and kiss her, and even without the rain thundering around them, she still took his breath away. His body began longing for hers, the intoxication he felt with their bodies pressed together and her lips on his skin calling to him like a primal instinct.

This was normal.

She would give him something to read: a new chapter, a new novel concept, a character web. Gray would take it from her eagerly, drinking in every word she wrote like they were gospel and he needed saving. She would cook, and they would talk. They talked about everything and nothing, they talked about missions and the team and the guild and even each other.

Natsu and Erza would come by sometimes, though neither of them would notice when Gray would beat them there. They were oblivious; Lucy and Gray wanted it this way, at least for now. They were still working as a team, after all. They wouldn't compromise the structure of the team and the security of their family by letting them know just yet. Natsu and Erza would know when the time was right. Unsurprisingly, the one who seemed the least oblivious to it all was Happy.

They were taking on smaller, daytime missions for the time being, making just enough money to live comfortably while they became more comfortable with each other.

At night they would lay.

Lucy would always ask if he'd come to bed with her, as she'd usually spend late nights writing while Gray thumbed through the various manuscripts she'd developed. He would ask if she was sure, and she would laugh quietly and tell him she was always sure. So she'd take his hand, leading him to where he'd begun spending all his nights. Gray always noted how small and soft her touch was compared to his larger, rougher hands, his fingers and palms worn with creation magic.

She was graceful.

Gray would sit on the bed and watch her move, watch her hips sway ever so slightly as she walked over to where a small pile of his shirts had begun forming. She picked through them, finding one she felt suitable for bedtime. She'd slip into the bathroom and emerge soon after, clad only in his shirt and her underwear, walking delicately in her bare feet over to where he sat. Her body awakened something within him, illuminating a part of him he'd long thought lost. She was tentative at first, though she'd always kiss him goodnight, resting her hand on his cheek and tracing the outline of his jaw. His body always reacted.

He'd wrap Lucy in his arms. He'd pull her into bed and roll them to face the window, her feminine figure slotting against him as they watched the stars. Their legs would tangle together as Gray propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her soft features while they talked. Gray found himself spilling everything to her at night, his secrets overflowing after being bottled up for so long. Nothing was off limits as his mouth formed the words he thought he'd never speak aloud, and Lucy watched him with big eyes and attentive gestures.

Lucy would fall asleep first, laying on her back beside him, tiny snores drifting from her small mouth. Gray would lay awake, but not because he couldn't sleep; he didn't _want_ to sleep. To sleep would mean to close his eyes and not be able to watch her breathe against him, and _god_ did he love to watch her breathe.

Her existence was simply breathtaking.

Gray's sleeping patterns weren't perfect; his nightmares still came and went in waves, but waking up and feeling her body beside him made him feel so fucking _safe_. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so at home.

This went on for some time.

Neither of them ever talked about being together. It was just something that was unspoken. There's wasn't a particular day when they decided they didn't wanna be without each other. But both of them felt it, felt the draw to one another.

Natsu and Erza never asked questions, though at some point they'd put the pieces together. They knew how Gray was though; he was private and reserved. They kept doing missions, Gray kept fighting with Natsu, and Erza kept squelching the quarrels between the two. Happy kept telling Lucy that she "liiiiiked" Gray. She quit denying it.

For the first time in so long, Gray felt _ordinary_.

They came back from a mission late one night. Their bodies were tired and stiff but not badly damaged, and for that they were always grateful. Lucy wrapped her arms around herself as she shut the door behind Gray, watching his shirt drop as he turned to face her. Gray smiled, but it wasn't his usual smirk. It was genuine.

She changed clothes in the bathroom, and when she returned, she found him staring out the window. He did that a lot. "Hey, Gray?" her mouth was moving without her brain's consent. He looked back at her, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

"Yeah, Luce?" he spoke. His voice was enough to send shivers down her back. She approached him, and he took her hand, pulling her back toward the bed.

"Do you like it here?" she asked. Gray grinned, sitting on the bed and taking her waist. He pressed a kiss to her hip where the shirt had come up slightly.

"I love it here," he murmured against her skin. Lucy felt her hand come up to touch his face, looking down at him from where she stood.

"You'll stay with me tonight?" she asked. Gray chuckled, watching her as he nodded.

"Yes," he whispered. "I'll stay with you tonight, and every night after if it's what you want."

Lucy bit her lip at his honesty. Gray had always been a really straight forward guy, but since this had started, he always did his best to make sure she knew what he was thinking. His dark and brooding façade broke down when they were alone, and she could really see him: no walls, no fear, just him. She could see every scar, every bruise, every broken piece of him in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Promise?" she asked.

He nodded again. Gray felt overwhelmed with his emotions at that moment, and he stood, acting against his nature as he lifted her. Lucy let out a small yelp of surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, feeling his hands come up to support her thighs. Gray looked at her for a long moment.

"Things aren't gonna change, are they?" he asked. "Do you not want me here? Because if you don't, Luce, just say the word and I'm gone. I never want to make you uncomfortable or uneasy."

Lucy quickly shook her head. "No!" she spoke forcefully, the thought of him departing scaring her slightly. "No... I don't want things to change."

Gray watched her still. "Okay."

He laid her down on what had become her side of the bed, watching her roll onto her back as he found his way to her side. Gray thought long and hard for a moment, focusing only on her sleepy features as her own eyes trained on the sky outside the window. Gray couldn't imagine a day would come where she didn't ignite some kind of fire within him, where this became mundane and boring to him. His ordinary would never be less than extraordinary with her skin against his.

"I love you."

The words slipped out of Gray's mouth before he could catch them. His heart suddenly beat against his ribcage violently as Lucy looked up at him, shock etched into her features as his words set in. He groaned, closing his eyes.

"Shit," he spoke. He panicked slightly; he hadn't meant to tell her that. "Luce, I—"

Lucy cut him off, grabbing him and crashing his lips against hers. She pulled him closer, fingers grasping at his hair as he hovered over her.

"Gray," she whispered, pulling back to look him in his eyes. "I love you too."

He kissed her again; he felt it suddenly, that longing, that desperate instinct pulling from his stomach. She seemed to feel it too. Between them they could feel this tension, this bursting desire to feel each other at their most intimate, their bodies intertwined at even an atomic level. Gray wanted to be as close to her as physically possible.

It started with their tongues, and then their hands, roaming undiscovered territory. They were both brand new to the feeling of someone, anyone else, and yet the so familiar comfort of each other's presence made things feel natural. Gray listened to every single sound, watched every movement she made, and she made him feel so welcome within her own body.

After the fact, they laid together, nothing between them but sheets and whispered emotions. Lucy closed her eyes and Gray smiled, watching the sky. He prayed silently to every deity he could imagine that this feeling would never leave him, this inner peace that settled against his chest as Lucy slept quietly.

Gray closed his eyes. For now, he was at peace.


	4. Tremble

The prompts just kinda... made sense together.

GrayLu Week 2017: Tremble

* * *

It was dark. Gray collapsed to his knees, his body caving under the damage and chaos of fighting. His magic was nearly drained, and he could barely move. Still, he stood again, carefully cradling an unconscious blonde in his arms.

"Shit," he hissed. His vision blurred as he walked further into the cave, gingerly placing Lucy down on the cold stone floor. Gray removed his shirt, balling it up and placing it under her head and finally collapsing on his stomach beside her. Gray watched her for a moment; she was still breathing. His body was screaming, his lungs threatening to explode at every single shaky breath, but she was _alive_. With that knowledge he managed to roll onto his back, and using the very last of his energy, put his fist in his palm.

"Ice make: shield!"

Before him sprung up a wall of ice, covering the entrance. Gray fell back, knowing he and his teammate were protected from anyone who might find them. Natsu and Erza would surely be able to recognize it as his ice magic in case they found them, and so Gray's eyes slid closed, allowing his body to rest. The dark of the cave consumed him, and soon, consciousness slipped.

Lucy stirred, eyes opening to almost complete darkness. Her muscles were stiff, her bones ached, and she suddenly felt every blow from the earlier fight all over again. Rolling her shoulders, she sat up, trying to get a better grasp on her surroundings. Lucy remembered being with her team and getting ambushed by a dark guild. She remembered a blur of fire and ice and metal armor. She remembered summoning Taurus...

* * *

Lucy's hand instinctively reached to her side; she felt for her keys. It was a habit she'd picked up since she'd joined Fairytale, especially since she'd lost them to Juvia so long ago. With a new relief, her eyes lifted to what she assumed was the entrance, noticing the moonlight cascading through a wall of ice, one she recognized as creation magic.

"Gray!" panic rose in Lucy's voice as she looked frantically for her mate. How long had she been out? Her body ached as the memory of throwing herself in between an overpowered Gray and a notably large burst of dark magic, and worry for the boy set in; It was daylight then. She struggled to push herself onto her feet, reaching out for the wall around her and using it as a support to move further into the cave.

It didn't take long to find him; Gray had woken only just before her, and stumbled a little further in to try and see if there was another way out.

"Gray..." Lucy launched herself at his mostly bare figure, and with a quiet 'oof' Gray stumbled back with the weight of the celestial wizard. He could feel her crying, and as he lifted one arm to the wall to help support them, he lifted the other to her hair, knotting his fingers in the tangled blonde locks and sighing with relief. Small shaking sobs racked Lucy's body, and the pain Gray was in from supporting her weight was nothing compared to the comfort he felt in being able to hold her so tight.

"Lucy," Gray smiled, pulling her face back to meet her eyes. "Go easy on me. I'm a little torn up."

Lucy tried to back away, embarrassed at her emotional outburst, but he tightened his grip, holding her closer. Gray stumbled back, sliding down the damp wall of the cave, cradling his teammate against his chest. Lucy wasn't exactly unhappy about the situation, but guilt began spreading through her at the thought of causing him further harm, her body fidgeting against his bare chest.

"Oh..." Gray slowly released her. "Sorry."

Lucy bit her lip, not moving any further from where she sat, her legs splayed across his lap. "What happened?" she finally asked, her voice more timid than she intended as she placed her hand on his cheek.

Gray took a deep breath. "Well," he began. "You threw yourself in front of me, and the force of the blast knocked us both backwards into a tree. I hit my head really bad, and you were unconscious..." he paused. "Why did you do that?"

Lucy was suddenly nervous all over again, refusing to meet his gaze. "I was scared," she admitted quietly. "But you were nearly drained and already so badly hurt, and I felt so useless just watching you get torn apart..." she trailed off. "What else happened? Where are the others?"

Gray suddenly became uneasy. "The force of the blow caused the tree to split," he explained slowly. "And it was all I could do to get us both out of the way before the ground began to split too. We... we ended up on different sides of the chasm."

Gray was pained at the memory. "They told me to get you to safety," he continued. Lucy let her hand slip from his cheek to his chest; his heart was pounding. "Erza said she and Natsu would hold them off so we could escape, and they would get around the crack when they could manage. And at the time, I honestly wasn't sure if you were alive or dead, so I ran as far as I could until we ended up here."

Lucy looked around, feeling overwhelmed at the idea of being separated from their team. Gray seemed to sense her overflowing emotions, and he squeezed her hip in an act of comfort, moving his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Hey," he whispered, and he was so close to Lucy she could feel his breath behind her ear. "Luce. It's okay. We're okay. And the others will be okay too," Gray's words seemed to reverberate through the dark, damp cave. Lucy suddenly felt so weak. Her body was tired. Her feelings were running rampant. She was losing control of her composure, and she felt weak against the boy who always seemed to have it together.

Lucy managed to make herself stand. She could feel the smallest amount of her magic power returning to her, though her body was still worse for wear. "Did you find anything down here?" she asked, pointing further into the cave. Gray couldn't help but notice the subject change, though he said nothing. He wanted to give her time to process.

"Yeah," he spoke. "There's an underground ravine. I think it runs through to the other side of the mountain."

Lucy nodded, and with a newfound determination to protect and find her team, she extended a hand to Gray. "Well, lets get moving."

Gray winced. "I'm having a hard time moving," he whispered, taking her hand. "I'm sorry. I need your help."

Lucy's heart shattered. It was so unlike Gray to ask for help. She nodded, gingerly lifting him so he could lean on her shoulders. Together, they moved forward, further into the darkness. Lucy could hear running water, and after only a few moments of her uncertainty, the cave opened into a wide area. To their right was a large pool of quietly running water, and just in front of them the river continued, taking a curve to the right.

"We should be able to keep going this way," Gray spoke, jerking his chin in the direction of the water. His body was heavily relying on Lucy's to take each step, and she could feel the strain it was taking on her already rough muscles.

"Ah!"

Gray's legs buckled underneath him, falling hard onto his knees beside her. Lucy was suddenly panicked again; his body was in worse shape than she'd thought.

"Gray!" she kneeled, placing herself directly in front of him. He was clutching at his chest, his other hand in front of him on the cold hard ground to steady himself. Lucy's determination faded quickly as she realized there was absolutely nothing she could do for him, no way to ease his obvious suffering. He let out a heaving cough, his hand covering his mouth.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as he pulled his fingers back. Even Gray's eyes widened as he managed to make his blurry vision focus. His hand was covered in blood.

She flew into a panic as she watched his fingers begin trembling. Lucy reacted purely on instinct, standing and reaching for her keys at her side. Everything began happening very fast.

"Open! Gate of the lion: Leo!"

There was a flash of white light, and Loke was suddenly by her side. "Yes, Lucy?" his voice was sweet until he looked around, seeing Gray's dire condition and Lucy's tearful eyes.

"Loke, please go find Erza and Natsu," she begged. "Gray is badly hurt and we need to get him out of here."

Loke was gone in a flash; Lucy felt grateful he didn't question her.

Gray groaned, coughing again, and Lucy watched blood splatter across the rock below him. "Lucy..."

He was shaking uncontrollably now, no longer able to support himself. Lucy forced him to lay his head in her lap as she did her best to comfort him. Gray trembled, then coughed again, covering the celestial mage's shirt in his blood. "Sorry," he breathed, his hand gripping the fabric at her waist. Lucy only shushed him.

Gray was in the most pain he'd ever felt. He was sure how he'd probably broken a couple ribs, and his chest felt so tight he thought maybe he'd bruised his sternum. Something inside of him was bleeding, evident by the way his mouth tasted like copper and by the waves of pain he felt crushing somewhere in his abdomen. Nothing had ever hurt this bad, nothing had ever come close to the pain he was feeling, and he thought for a while that maybe it was the last thing he'd ever feel.

But Lucy was safe.

Lucy was safe.

She was alive and safe.

Gray kept repeating those words over and over again in his head, and eventually out loud, feeling his voice muffle against where his face was pressed against her abdomen. He knew she was terrified, and for what it was worth, so was he. But Lucy was safe, and with that comfort in mind, he let the darkness at the edges of his vision take control.

Gray passed out, a flash of red hair and Lucy's voice accompanying his quiet descent.

* * *

He felt her before he felt anything else. She was holding his hand, and he could feel her head resting on his hip.

Gray wondered absently if he was dead. It would make sense if he was, but the feeling of Lucy beside him made the concept uncomfortable to him.

Everything felt sore. Pain suddenly surged through Gray, and he groaned in agony as he was overcome by the sudden realization that he was very much _alive_.

"Gray...?"

He finally opened his eyes to a rather unfamiliar setting. He wasn't in his bed, or even Lucy's for that matter, but as his eyes trained on the blonde beside him, the one with tears in her eyes as she lifted her head, he felt at home all the same.

"Hey, Luce," Gray's voice was raspy and broken. He watched as the blonde took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as tears ran down her red cheeks. She clasped her hands in her lap, shaking with silent sobs. "Hey," Gray spoke again, his voice a bit stronger. "Don't hide those eyes from me. Aren't you glad to see me?"

Lucy only cried harder, letting out strained sounds as she wept. Gray instinctively reached out to comfort her, when pain surged through his body. It began in his chest and spread to the tips of his fingers, letting out a powerful scream as he feel back against his pillow. His vision blurred, and darkness pulled at his brain.

"Gray!" Lucy cried. "Don't strain yourself; you're still badly hurt."

Gray laid still, waiting for the pain to subside. "I gathered that," he murmured.

Lucy was silent, standing slowly beside him. "Let me go get Porlyusica—"

Gray caught her as she tried to leave, gritting his teeth through the pain. "Lucy, stop. What's going on? What happened?"

The celestial mage wiped the tears from her eyes, and Gray felt sick as she sat back down, trying to compose herself. "Okay," she took a deep breath.

"Loke found Natsu and Erza," Lucy began. "He brought them back as soon as he could, but you had passed out and started... convulsing..." she winced at the memory. "You were getting worse. We got you to safety as soon as we could; Happy flew you here, to Porlyusica, and she kept you alive with remedies until Carla could get Wendy here."

Gray blinked. "Wendy was here?"

Lucy nodded, still refusing to meet his gaze. "She still is," she said. "She's been healing you in small amounts every day for three days. You were..." Lucy trained off, swallowing. "You were too badly hurt for her to do it all at once."

Gray stared at her blankly for a moment. "You saved me."

Lucy shook her head, her hair falling back and forth around her shoulders. "No, Wendy and Porlyusica and Happy and Loke saved you..."

Gray smiled, lifting his hand and touching her cheek with his fingers. He brushed her hair back. "Lucy."

All at once she began crying again, burying her head against his chest. She was trembling, and each word that slipped from her mouth was a form affection toward the dark haired man. She told him over and over and over again with a shaking voice how much she loved him, and he smiled and held her as best he could with the pain he was in. He was safe, she told herself. Gray was safe and alive.

She stopped trembling.


	5. Playground

But in the end, we never really mean for things to connect... do we?

 **GrayLu Week 2017: Playground**

"C'mon, Gray. Just put on the suit."

"This is stupid, Luce."

"We have to blend in."

"I don't wanna blend in!"

"You need to for the job."

"There's too many layers!"

Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she watched Gray throw his hands in the air in frustration. He was staring darkly at the different parts of his suit laid on the bed in front of him, as if he could freeze them with just his gaze. She chuckled again, moving to stand behind him and wrap her arms around his bandaged torso.

"Gray..." she chimed, her voice melodic. "It's just for a few hours. And besides, I'm excited to see you all dressed up..." Lucy paused. "Pleaaase?"

Gray huffed. "Damn you," he mumbled. "You know I can't say no to you."

Lucy grinned, loosening her grip as he leaned forward and began getting dressed. She slipped in the bathroom to do the same.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and Lucy walked over and let Natsu, Happy, and Erza in. Gray adjusted his tie in the mirror as Natsu started yelling.

"We look so fancy!" Natsu yelled, admiring himself in the mirror. Happy gave an 'aye sir!' in response, before Natsu looked back at Erza.

"Hey, Erza," he said. "Where's your fancy dress?"

Erza absentmindedly looked down at her body. "Oh, hold on," he spoke. There was a flash of light, and Erza's equip magic created a beautiful floor length gown.

Lucy never ceased to be amazed by Erza.

"Everyone know the plan?" Erza spoke, pinning her long red hair back away from her face.

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Happy spoke in unision. Erza's eyes lifted to Gray and Lucy, and they both nodded.

"Alright," Erza smiled. "Lets party."

xx*xx

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

Gray looked down at Lucy, letting her take his arm as they walked into the casino ballroom. All around them were men in suits and woman in long dresses, as well as men in white tuxedos carrying trays with drinks of all kinds. Gray shrugged.

"Now is a little late to ask," he teased the blonde on his arm. She swatted at his chest, and he chuckled lightly. "I'm alright," he assured her. "It's been two weeks, Luce. My body is almost fully recovered. A couple bruises have never stopped me from doing missions before."

A waiter came by, and Gray gracefully grabbed two glasses of champagne, offering one to Lucy. "Besides," he spoke, taking a small sip. "This is an easy job."

Lucy frowned, letting him lead her around the big ballroom. "Don't say things like that," she told him. "You'll jinx us."

Gray laughed quietly. "C'mon," he said. "Lets mingle and at least try to have a little fun tonight. Casinos are, after all, an adult's playground."

Lucy shook her head. "We could probably have more fun if we weren't working."

Gray shrugged. "We get to play dress-up and drink expensive alcohol and dance later. We can still have fun."

Lucy sighed dreamily. She imagined dancing the night away with Gray, and the romantic in her swooned. "Fine," she caved. "But you better hold up your promise about dancing!"

Gray laughed, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "Sure thing, Luce." He paused. "By the way, you look beautiful tonight."

Lucy hid her blush as Gray guided her around the room, meeting a greeting as many wizards as they could. Natsu watched from afar, his scarf tucked firmly into his blazer. He cracked a small smile as the people around him meandered, feeling Happy land on his shoulder.

"Any sign of them?" Natsu asked. Happy shook his head.

"No sir," Happy spoke. "But they should be here soon."

Natsu looked up to where Erza stood on a balcony overlooking the ballroom and shook his head. Erza signed.

The mission was an easy one; grab a rising dark wizard who had gone rogue from a guild weeks ago. The woman had been causing quite a scene, and the guild requested she be brought back for according punishment. The casino had been one of her favorite places to spend time, and word spread that this dark wizard had planned on attending the event at which the team found themselves.

Erza looked around until she found Gray and Lucy, keeping a close eye on the pair. Their job was to be normal party-goers and discover which woman was their target. Erza was to help apprehend the target. Natsu was damage control, backup in case things got ugly.

But for now, things were quiet.

"Hey, Gray," Lucy spoke. Gray looked down at her, watching carefully. ". Turn slow."

Gray waited a moment, before inserting he and Lucy into a small crowd of talking people. The blonde happily introduced the two as Gray got a look at the source of the celestial mage's concern.

He spotted her, a woman matching the description of their target. He smirked, lifting his eyes to Natsu's across the room, and Natsu followed as Gray detached himself from Lucy, leaving her to make small talk while moving to a fountain in the center of the room. The two men stared into the water, standing side by side, careful to never make eye contact while they talked quietly.

"Lucy clocked her," Gray spoke, lifting his drink to his lips. Natsu nodded, and Happy listened as they talked. "Check your ten and let Erza know. Lucy and I are on to phase two."

Natsu and Happy left without another word. Gray stood still as his eyes slipped closed, taking a deep breath as he felt someone come beside him and take his arm. "Ready, Luce?" he asked, turning slowly to meet her gaze—

The voice that responded was not Lucy.

"Of course I'm ready," her voice cut against Gray's ears, and he jumped away from the woman in surprise, turning to see their target beside him. "You Fairytail wizards ways seem to stick out."

Gray's heart began racing, but he was careful to keep his composure; he didn't know yet exactly how much of their cover was blown. "What gave me away?" he asked, slowly beginning to scan the room for a head of long blonde hair.

The young girl laughed, her voice full of malice. "Your girlfriend," she said, matter-of-factly, a sickening smile spreading across her lips. "Her guild mark was in plain sight!"

Gray's composure was crumbling as he realized he couldn't find Lucy in the crowd. Anger was beginning to course through him as she continued speaking. "And who wouldn't recognize the Salamander?"

She hadn't seen Erza, he noted. Gray's cold and calculated stature was giving way to panic. Where was Lucy?

Natsu was suddenly behind the young girl, and with every passing moment Gray was realizing this wasn't going to end quietly. Gray frowned; he needed to keep the target talking so Erza could try and salvage the mission... but where was Lucy?

"So you know Natsu?" Gray spoke. "He's a legend around here."

The girl chuckled. "Well, you know the thing about legends is they're often... over exaggerated." She was calm, and Gray would be damned if he let her get to him. She laughed again, loudly, and he watched as her eyes grew darker and darker.

"Gray!"

His eyes lifted as Erza called his name, and as if on instinct he jumped backwards, just in time for the red head to land in front of him. Her armor was incredible. He was always slightly taken aback when he saw it.

"She isn't alone!" Natsu yelled, and suddenly Gray noticed the many menacing eyes trained on him. He cursed as realization struck him; the whole party, the whole mission even, was an ambush.

Gray threw his blazer to the side as he put his first into his palm, concentration taking over his body. "Ice make: lance!"

Things got blurry after that.

Gray fought back-to-back with Natsu against the whole guild, none of their individual power matching anything like their strength. Erza took on the target, who Gray learned very quickly was a powerful earth creation mage, the ground shaking with each step she took. Every moment that went by set off more panic in Gray's mind...

Lucy was nowhere to be found.

His fear crept further into his throat as he caught sight of Lucy's keys. The earth creation wizard held them in her hands as she fought Erza, as if taunting him.

Gray flew into a rage.

Leaving Natsu to handle the last of the underlings, Gray cast his shirt aside, throwing himself at the dark mage. "Where is she?" he demanded, feeling his foot collide with the bottom of her chin. He sent the woman reeling, giving Erza the edge she needed to finish the job.

At the end of it all, the woman was unconscious and everyone around them was either the same or too scared to get up. It was loud and messy, but Fairytail had won.

These thoughts did not ease Gray's distress at the idea of Lucy still missing.

"Aye!" Happy yelled from across the room. "I found her!"

Gray's feet were moving before his head could process the sentence. When he reached the flying cat, he almost let out a cry of relief; half-buried in what seemed to be an earth related trap, Lucy laid unconscious but still breathing.

Gray dropped to his knees and began digging her out, lifting her by her arms out of the ground. Lucy coughed as she awoke, dirt spraying from her mouth as she struggled to catch her breath. He held her against his chest. Relief washed over him, scanning her body for injuries and finding none.

"This party sucked!" Natsu yelled, obviously annoyed as he bent over to grab Lucy's keys. "We didn't even get to enjoy it before it all went to shit!"

Lucy opened her eyes, looking up at Gray as Natsu continued yelling about missing out on the food. "Hey, Gray?" Lucy said. He vaguely heard Happy complain about the lack of fish behind him, and Erza agree that there were not an adequate amount of fancy cakes for such a nice party.

"Yeah, Luce?" Gray spoke, slowly lifting her to her feet. Lucy frowned, leaning on him for support.

"I don't much care for the adult's playground," she told him. Gray couldn't help but laugh, the fear he felt minutes ago slowly passing as he assured himself she was okay.

"Hey," Gray said, taking her hand. "Don't knock it too hard. I can make the night better."

Lucy scoffed. "Gray. I'm covered in dirt and my mouth tastes like grass. There's not much you can do to salvage this."

Gray grinned, noting the music was still playing in the background. "Well, I promised you a dance, didn't I?"

The celestial mate looked up at him, and he smiled, pulling her close as they tuned out the sounds of their team bickering about the damage to the ballroom. Gray made good on his promise, dancing away the last few songs of the night together in good humor.

Outside, it started to rain.


	6. Fragrance

I'm not late, you're late.

GrayLu Week 2017: Fragrance

Gray hadn't noticed a difference in Lucy until after the last of his stuff had crept to her place.

There wasn't exactly a conversation about him moving in; it just kind of _happened_. There was no awkward talk about if they were ready to make things that official, there were no nervous and stressful days of moving. Lucy just handed him a key one day, and soon after, most of Gray's belongings had found themselves in a new home.

It seemed natural. Nothing really changed except Gray didn't have to go back to his place for clothes every few days. Natsu, Happy, and Erza still broke in unannounced, they still went on normal missions, the team continued to destroy things while they worked, but at the end of the day, Gray and Lucy went home together. Gray didn't talk about it, but Lucy knew it made him happy to have that kind of permanence in his life.

Gray first noticed the change while watching her change the sheets.

He was eating a muffin she'd gotten up so early to make for him. Gray woke up to the smell of blueberries, and he'd thanked her in that quiet, 'less-is-more' mentality that was so very _him_. He stood behind her as she was pulling them out of the pan, and he kissed the top of her head before ruffling her long blonde hair. Lucy smiled, pleased with herself.

She left him in the kitchen to eat as she set about making the bed while he woke up. That's when he noticed it. Something was different about her, in those moments, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Gray cocked his head to the side as he watched her hips sway in the moment, hearing her voice hum softly as she stripped the bed. He watched her feminine curves move elegantly while her back was turned. Gray realized he was distracted and staring, shaking his head quietly as he went back to his muffin. Maybe he'd imagined it, he thought, absently moving closer to her.

The next time he noticed it was when Lucy was just getting out of the shower a couple nights later. He'd been proof reading a chapter she'd been working on when she walked past in only a towel, catching Gray's attention for what seemed like _obvious_ reasons, but as he was turning to admire her while she found clothes to wear to bed, something seemed... different. Gray was absolutely dumbstruck by the overwhelming feeling that he was missing something. He took a moment to look at the intricate details of his mate: her hair was still long and blonde, her body was still beautifully built, her smile was still just as soft. The color of her eyes was just as blue as the day she joined Fairytail, and her guild mark still stood out prominently on the back of her hand.

Gray frowned. He was missing something.

"Gray?"

Lucy's voice called him out of his trace, and immediately he realized he'd been staring. She was smirked slightly, her hand clasping the towel to her chest, and Gray blushed, embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck and returned his eyes to the manuscript in front of him. Lucy giggled. Out of Gray's peripheral vision, he saw a town be cast aside, along with his thoughts of something different, momentarily losing himself in the thought of her intimacy as she approached him.

It didn't occur to him again until he was staring at the ceiling that night, a bare celestial mage sleeping silently on his chest. Gray's fingers played fondly with the ends of her hair as he thought. He thought maybe he'd been imagining it, that maybe being so officially-unofficial was affecting the way he thought. He sighed, watching the stars out the window. They seemed to bring him so much comfort since they _she_ and _he_ became _them_. It was humorous to Gray, realizing just how far he'd come emotionally with her by his side. Peace overcame him, and he fell asleep wrapped in her comfort.

When Gray awoke the next day, Lucy was already gone, a note she left telling him she'd gone to the guild early to meet Levy.

He noticed it again when he walked into the bathroom to shower that morning. It was just an overwhelming sense of something he couldn't quite put his finger on. At this point, Gray was infuriated. After his being this befuddled for days, he threw on a pair of pants, not even bothering with a shirt as he took off out the door.

Gray came bursting into the guild, causing a small commotion. His eyes searched the room until they came to a very concerned and slightly embarrassed blonde, and Gray blushed, realizing he'd made a scene. He waited momentarily for the normal buzz of the guild to resume, before moving quickly to where Lucy sat at the bar with Levy.

"I give up," Gray told her, breathless. Lucy looked confused, cocking her head as he absently reached for her hand; they hadn't exactly told much of the guild about their relationship, so the slightly public display of affection caught her off-guard.

"What are you talking about, Gray?" the blonde asked. Levy watched them interact. She was one of the only ones in the guild outside of Team Natsu that knew about their changes. Lucy told her everything, after all.

Gray sighed. "There's something... different." Lucy was still just as confused, so he continued. "Since I kind of... moved in? I don't know. There's something off about you or me or the apartment and I can't really figure out what it is."

Gray was ungracefully rambling now, and he silently cursed how flustered she could make him. "I just wanna know what changed."

Lucy looked even more confused, before realization crossed her features. She started laugh, a full grinning laugh, and Gray's stomach flipped.

"Gray," she laughed. "I started wearing the perfume you got me."

Gray's eyes widened, and Levy giggled. Without thinking about their audience, he grabbed Lucy's arms and brought her closer, taking a long, deep breath.

Gray laughed too. Everything made sense.

"Sorry," he murmured, kissing her temple.

Lucy blushed, taking a small step back as they realized _all_ eyes were on them.

"No problem."


	7. Trace

He could look back and see his path clearly.

Gray could focus and think to before he ever loved her, and he could pinpoint every single decision he made to make it to where he was right now. Lucy was writing purposefully at her desk as her ideas unfolded before her, her eyes floating from word to word as the story went from her brain to her arm to her pen. Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right phrase, the right emphasis, anything to create the energy she so desired. His eyes took in every bit of her; he found solace.

"Gray, please stop staring," Lucy would say. He would smile and nod and go back to what he'd been doing. She hated when he watched her write. She said it made her uneasy.

"You're just radiant," he told her absently. She blushed, and he smiled. Gray was hardly one for mincing words.

His eyes always seemed to trail back to her, no matter where they seemed to start, or how often he tore them away. After all, why would he want to tear them away? She was absolutely glowing.

It was raining, and it had been for a few days. Gray watched the droplets run down the glass window, his fingers tracing the lines they made and the paths they took. He remembered finding her in a pub on a rainy day almost a year ago, watching her struggle with writers block. He remembered kissing her in the rain and every moment since, he'd longed to kiss her more.

"Hey, Lucy?" Gray spoke, his mind wandering. She didn't answer him at first, and he turned to look at her, seeing she was lost in her world. He couldn't help but feel his chest swell with some fond feeling he didn't think he'd every get used to. Gray decided it was best not to bother her now, and he turned his attention back to the window.

He remembered climbing through the window on dark nights when his mind seemed shattered. Lucy was always so open to him, her kindness giving him the strength to be what she needed. He didn't quite remember exactly when he started taking her into consideration with everything he did. Nothing in their relationship was ever clear or concise; they loved each other, and that was the only thing either of them were really sure about. But Gray felt secure.

Lucy was humming quietly while she thought. Gray looked back at her, seeing her drag her pen across her bottom lip. Some things just stick with you. Lucy was one of those things. He suddenly couldn't breathe; he _needed_ to talk to her.

"Hey, Luce."

The blonde looked up, tilting her head at him. His firm tone made her stop. Gray was always serious, but Lucy had learned the difference in their time together between his normal mindset and a different disposition, and she prided herself on being able to read someone who was always putting up a front of being pretty cold and indifferent.

Gray motioned for her to come closer, and she did, without even thinking. "What's wrong?" she asked, feeling his hands reach out and pull her to his lap. The somewhat odd display of affection raised alarm in her head. "Gray, you're scaring me."

Gray didn't say anything, just adjusted the way she sat so he could look at her while they talked. Lucy was afraid, and he sensed this somewhat, his fingers slipping up the back of her shirt to trace lines on her back. He struggled with his words.

"How long have we been..." Gray paused, because saying 'dating' felt wrong, because it wasn't dating in the traditional sense. In truth, they had never really dated at all; they were just suddenly together. He started again. "Uh, how long have we been with each other?"

Lucy thought. "I'm not sure," she told him. "A while."

Gray nodded, and he fell silent for another moment, collecting his thoughts. Lucy felt panic rise in her throat. "Are you leaving me?" she asked quietly, a deep fear beginning to take over her body. Gray's eyes widened, and his grip instinctively got tighter.

"No!" he spoke, maybe a bit too forcefully. "God, no, Lucy. I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy nodded, taking a moment to let her muscles relax again. "Then what's going on?" she asked, nervously playing with her hair. Gray let out a breath, feeling frustrated he couldn't make his mouth and brain work together to talk.

"So this is gonna sound dumb," Gray finally managed. "But I've been thinking a lot about how I haven't... how we haven't... exactly been official."

Lucy laughed quietly. "Gray," she smiled. "We don't have to be official for me to know you love me."

Gray shrugged, his unease apparent in the unsure way he moved. "I just think it's silly that most of the guild has no idea about us."

A small silence stretched between them. Lucy was contemplating the concept, and realized he was right; the guild was a family, after all. It seemed strange for almost all of Fairytale to be in the dark about such an important thing to both of them.

Gray cleared his throat. "So, this is lame," he blushed. "But, Lucy?"

"Yes Gray?"

He smiled slightly. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lucy was silent, before laughing. She held his hand in her own.

"I don't know, let me think about it."


End file.
